An overwhelming pressure crashed over Maira like an ocean, her knees nearly buckled, every instinct screamed at her to flee yet she forced herself to remain standing. The voice came again closer this time.
"MORTAL..."
Maira followed the sound through rows of glowing crystals, each step echoed endlessly.
Eventually...
The chamber opened into a circular sanctuary, at its center stood an ancient stone altar and upon it floated a single grimoire. Its cover was midnight black, adorned with intricate silver patterns that seemed to shift whenever she looked away. A large violet crystal was embedded in its center, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. The book slowly turned toward her, its pages fluttered without wind. Then, in a surprisingly dignified tone, it declared,
"You are a mortal who has trespassed into my sacred domain. As the Supreme Grimoire, I ought to erase your existence for such insolence..."
Maira stared at it for a moment, then quietly replied,
"...Don't worry."
The book paused.
"...What?"
"I was brought here by accident."
She turned around.
"So... I'll leave."
There was a long silence. Then, suddenly, the grimoire shouted,
"WAIT!"
Maira stopped. She looked back with a puzzled expression, the mighty, ancient voice from moments before vanished completely.
Instead the grimoire sounded almost... panicked.
"Please don't go!"
"...What?"
"I've been trapped here for centuries!"
The book floated frantically around the altar.
"Do you know how boring centuries are?! I've counted every crystal in this room! Twice! I even started naming them!"
Maira blinked.
The terrifying presence from moments ago had evaporated like morning mist. The grimoire coughed awkwardly.
"...Ignore that."
It straightened itself in midair as if trying to regain its dignity.
"What I mean is... if you take me with you..."
Its pages fluttered eagerly.
"...I shall grant you power beyond imagination."
Maira's expression remained unreadable.
"...Why?"
The book fell silent, then answered honestly.
"...Because I don't want to be alone anymore."
The words echoed through the sanctuary.
Maira narrowed her eyes.
"...That's your reason?"
The grimoire hesitated.
"...Well? mostly."
"Mostly?"
"It is a perfectly respectable reason!"
The book floated higher, trying to regain the regal aura it had lost.
"I am the Supreme Grimoire! The repository of countless spells, the keeper of ancient knowledge and the guide to limitless magic!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"No one has talked to me for centuries."
Its cover slowly drooped.
"I've even started arguing with echoes."
Maira stared at it. Under different circumstances she might have laughed but laughter no longer came naturally. Instead, she quietly asked,
"If you're really so powerful why couldn't you leave?"
The grimoire became unusually quiet, the violet crystal on its cover dimmed slightly.
"I was sealed. Long before your kingdom existed I was imprisoned in here. I cannot leave this chamber unless someone willingly accepts me, so i waited. For centuries for someone."
It let out a long, weary sigh.
"And after waiting all that time the first person I meet immediately says she's leaving so i panicked."
Despite everything Maira understood that feeling.
Being left behind.
Being abandoned.
It was a pain she now knew all too well. Still she refused to lower her guard.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
The grimoire became serious.
"Because I have no reason to lie. I gain nothing by deceiving someone who can simply walk away."
Maira folded her arms.
"Or maybe you gain a new victim."
"...Fair point."
The grimoire admitted it without protest.
"So how do I earn your trust?"
Maira looked at the ancient altar, she looked at the floating book, then she remembered Victor's smile.
The villagers' insults.
Her mother's final breath.
Trust.
That word felt foreign now.
"...I don't trust anyone anymore."
She spoke softly.
"Not after what happened."
The grimoire remained silent, instead of arguing it simply listened, Maira continued.
"I trusted my village and they abandoned me. I trusted my friends and they looked away. I believed kindness would always matter but i was wrong."
Her fingers slowly curled into fists.
"The only person who never betrayed me was my mother."
Silence settled between them, finally, the grimoire spoke.
"...Then don't trust me."
She blinked.
"What?"
"Not yet."
Its voice had become unexpectedly gentle.
"Trust isn't something I can ask for, it's something I must earn."
The ancient book floated toward the altar.
"If words aren't enough then allow magic itself to prove my sincerity."
The air suddenly shimmered, ancient runes appeared beneath the grimoire. One by one, countless symbols of silver and violet light spread across the floor, forming a magnificent magic circle unlike anything Maira had ever seen. Its complexity far surpassed every spell she had witnessed in Ikasa.
"This is a Soul Contract."
Maira instinctively stepped back.
"A contract?"
"Yes."
"If I deceive you the contract will destroy me."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"You?"
"I will cease to exist."
The grimoire answered without hesitation.
"My existence, my knowledge, my soul everything will belong to you."
Maira stared, such a contract shouldn't exist.
The grimoire continued.
"You asked how you could trust me, this is my answer."
The glowing runes condensed into a single floating parchment made entirely of light. It drifted gently toward Maira, she hesitated before taking it. The moment her fingers touched it words appeared across its surface.
"Soul Contract"
Party One: The Supreme Grimoire
Party Two: Maira of Ikasa
Terms
• The Supreme Grimoire shall recognize Maira as its one and only Master.
• The Grimoire shall never intentionally deceive, manipulate, betray, or abandon its Master.
• All knowledge, magic, and abilities possessed by the Grimoire may be shared at its Master's discretion.
• The Grimoire shall protect its Master whenever possible.
• Should the Grimoire violate this contract, its soul shall be erased immediately.
• This contract cannot be altered once accepted.
Maira read every line.
Twice.
Three times.
There was nothing hidden.
No trick.
No secret clause.
She slowly looked up.
"...You're risking your life."
The grimoire chuckled.
"I've spent centuries trapped inside this room, if I remain here forever i'm already as good as dead."
The answer was strangely honest. Maira looked down at the contract once more for the first time since entering the dungeon she truly thought about her future. If she rejected the offer she would wander this endless dungeon alone.
Eventually...
A monster would kill her, she would die. Victor would laugh, the chief would continue ruling, the five boys would grow old in peace.
Her mother's murder would be forgotten.
Her fists trembled.
"No..."
She whispered.
"I refuse."
The grimoire's crystal dimmed.
"...I understand."
It began slowly floating back toward the altar.
Then Maira continued.
"I refuse to die before making them answer for what they've done."
She lifted the parchment, her golden eyes, once gentle as spring skies, now burned with unwavering resolve.
"If your power can help me survive then I'll accept."
The grimoire froze.
"...Really?"
"I have one condition."
"Name it."
"If I become your master don't treat me like a hero."
Its pages stopped fluttering.
"I'm not seeking justice, i'm seeking revenge. I won't pretend otherwise, i intend to kill them."
The words echoed through the sanctuary, the grimoire was silent for several long moments
Finally it laughed.
Not mockingly.
But knowingly.
"A heart consumed by vengeance is far more honest than one pretending to be righteous."
It floated before her.
"I will not judge the path you choose, i only ask one thing."
"What?"
"...Live long enough to choose it."
Maira closed her eyes. For the first time since her mother's death she made a decision for herself. She pressed her hand against the glowing contract.
"I accept."
The parchment erupted into brilliant violet light. The entire chamber shook, ancient runes surged across the floor like rivers of starlight. The grimoire burst into radiant luminescence, a deep voice echoed throughout the sanctuary.
"Contract Accepted"
"Master Recognized"
"Soul Synchronization Beginning"
Countless streams of magical energy flowed from the grimoire into Maira's body.
She gasped.
Mana.
An unimaginable amount of mana.
Warm.
Ancient.
The magic wrapped around her like flowing water before slowly settling deep within her soul, the violet crystal on the grimoire shone brighter than ever before. Then, with unmistakable excitement, it spun through the air.
"YES!"
"I'M FREE!"
"I'M FINALLY FREE!"
It flew circles around Maira so quickly that it nearly crashed into a crystal.
"Oof!"
It bounced off the wall.
"...Let's pretend that didn't happen."
For the first time the corners of Maira's lips lifted.
Not a smile.
Barely even that but enough for the grimoire to notice.
"...There it is."
It whispered softly.
"Hm?"
"Nothing."
The grimoire floated beside her shoulder.
"So then, Master what shall we do first?"
Maira's expression hardened once more, she looked toward the dark tunnel leading deeper into the World Class Dungeon. Her eyes burned with a cold, unwavering fire.
"We survive."
She took her first step into the darkness.
"Then we become strong enough that no one will ever be able to take away what's precious to me again."
The grimoire's pages fluttered with anticipation.
"Heh now that's an adventure worthy of beginning."
Together, the lonely girl abandoned by the world and the ancient grimoire abandoned by time walked into the endless darkness of the World Class Dungeon.
For a moment, the floating grimoire simply hovered in front of her.Then its pages fluttered with excitement.
"Marvelous! It's time to begin our journey master."
Maira frowned slightly.
"Stop calling me master like that…"
"But you are my master," the grimoire replied proudly. "Contractually, magically, and spiritually!"
She sighed. "Then at least tell me your name."
The grimoire floated closer.
"My name is Arcanis."
The air seemed to grow heavier as he spoke it. Maira tilted her head.
"Just Arcanis?" She asked.
"Formerly known as Arcanis, Sovereign of Magic."
"…What?" she paused.
There was a brief pause.Then the grimoire cleared its nonexistent throat.
"I was once the God of Magic."
Maira stared at it silently. A few seconds passed.
"Oh." she said almost expressionless,
Arcanis blinked.
"…That's it?" Arcanis exclaimed in shock.
"What do you want me to say?"
she replied calmly.
"I just watched my mother die and got thrown into a dungeon."
Arcanis floated there in stunned silence, then suddenly he burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! Oh, this is delightful! A mortal who isn't impressed by a fallen god!"
Maira crossed her arms."If you're really a god, then help me survive."
Arcanis calmed down.
"Yes… about that."
The grimoire began glowing faintly.
"You should understand something important, Master."
A small magic circle formed beneath Maira's feet.
"Your body cannot handle my power, you can currently start with what you have."
"Wind magic?" she asked.
"Correct," Arcanis replied. "You already possessed a small affinity for it. We will build from there."
A set of glowing symbols appeared before her. Skills Acquired
'Gust'
' Feather Step'
'Air Sense'
Maira stared at them. "That's it?"
"Did you expect divine lightning storms on your first day?"
Arcanis replied sarcastically, she looked away slightly embarrassed.
"Still… it's stronger than before."
"Of course it is," Arcanis said proudly. "You are now channeling the power of a god."
He paused.
"…a very limited portion of a god."
Maira flexed her fingers. She could feel the air around her. Like invisible threads brushing against her skin. For the first time since being thrown into the dungeon…She felt something other than despair.
Control.
But the moment didn't last long. A faint scratching sound echoed through the tunnel ahead. Maira froze. "…Arcanis."
"Yes?"
"Something's coming."
The grimoire slowly turned toward the dark passage.
"Ah." Arcanis responded with familiarity.
Several small glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.Low growls followed. Then the creatures stepped into the glowing stone chamber. Small monsters. Rough gray fur.
Sharp teeth. Stone-like claws.
Arcanis spoke calmly. "Dungeon creature identified."
"Stone Rats."
Five of them.
Maira stepped back instinctively. "They don't look that strong…"
"Do not underestimate dungeon creatures," Arcanis warned.
One of the rats suddenly lunged. Maira panicked.
"Gust!"
A burst of wind shot forward. The rat was pushed sideways, crashing into the stone floor. But the other four attacked immediately.
"MASTER, LEFT!"
She jumped aside as another rat snapped its jaws where her leg had been. Her heart pounded violently.
Too fast.
Too chaotic.
She couldn't think. One rat leaped at her face.
"FEATHER STEP!" Arcanis shouted.
Instinctively she cast the spell. Her body suddenly felt lighter. She moved faster than expected and stumbled backward.
The rat missed.
But another bit into her sleeve. She screamed and shook her arm wildly. "GUST!"
Wind exploded from her palm. The rat slammed into the wall. It twitched then stopped moving.
Maira froze.
Her breathing became uneven.
"I… I…"
Arcanis spoke quietly. "You killed it."
Her hands trembled. She had never taken a life before. Not even an animal. The other rats circled cautiously now. She stared at the dead creature.
Then—
Her mother's face appeared in her mind. The poison. Her final breath. The laughter of the five boys. Something inside her hardened.
Her trembling stopped.
Maira slowly looked up. "Arcanis."
"Yes, Master?"
"How many monsters are in this dungeon?"
The grimoire paused. "…Millions."
Maira's eyes became cold. "Good."
Wind began gathering around her fingers.
The rats lunged again.
This time—
She didn't hesitate. A few minutes later the chamber was quiet again, four rat bodies lay scattered across the floor. Maira leaned against the wall breathing heavily her arms were scratched, her clothes torn. But she was alive.
Arcanis floated nearby. "Well done, Master."
She looked at the corpses. "…I feel strange."
"That is normal." Arcanis added.
"Am I becoming a monster?"
The grimoire shook slightly. "No." He floated closer. "You are becoming strong."
Suddenly something unusual happened.
A faint stream of energy rose from the dead monsters. It flowed toward Maira then sank into her body.
She gasped. "What was that?"
Arcanis sounded intrigued. "Interesting…"
"What?" She asked curious.
"The dungeon recognizes your victory." He sounded almost impressed. "You are absorbing its mana."
Maira looked down at her hands, she could feel it. Just a little more power. Just a little more control.
Arcanis spoke quietly. "Every battle will make you stronger."
Maira looked deeper into the dungeon tunnel.
Darkness stretched endlessly ahead. Monsters waited.
Trials waited.
Power waited.
Her eyes burned with quiet fury. "Good." She stepped forward. "Let's keep going."
Arcanis followed beside her.
The tunnel beyond the chamber stretched endlessly into darkness. The glowing stones that had lit the previous room were gone.
Now the only light came from faint blue moss clinging to the walls. Maira walked slowly, every step careful. The silence of the dungeon felt different now.
Before, it had been terrifying. Now it felt… watchful.As if the dungeon itself had noticed her. Arcanis floated beside her, his pages turning lazily.
"Well done, Master," he said. "You survived your first battle."
"Barely," Maira replied quietly.
Her sleeve was still torn where one of the rats had bitten it. Thin scratches ran across her arm. They stung but she ignored them.
"What happens if I die here?" she asked suddenly.
Arcanis paused. "You die."
"…I figured."
"But," he added calmly, "that is unlikely."
She glanced at him.
"You seem very confident for someone who just watched me almost get eaten by rats."
"Ah, but you didn't," Arcanis replied. "And that is what matters."
He floated slightly ahead of her. "You adapt quickly."
Maira didn't answer. Her eyes were focused on the dark path ahead. The memories of the village still burned inside her mind.
The trial.
The accusations.
The laughter.
Her friends looking away.
Her fists clenched.
"I will kill them," she whispered.
Arcanis heard her. "Yes," he said softly.
"But first you must survive this place."
They continued walking for several minutes.
The dungeon slowly changed. The tunnels widened. The air became colder.
And then—
Maira suddenly stopped. "Arcanis."
"Yes?" he responded
"…Something's wrong."
The wind around her fingers began moving strangely. Her Air Sense skill had activated on its own. She could feel movement. Many movements.
Ahead.
Behind.
Above.
"MASTER—"
The ceiling suddenly burst open. Three creatures dropped down. Cave Bats.
Large ones.
Their wings were nearly the size of her body.
Their mouths were filled with needle-like teeth. One shrieked loudly. The sound echoed through the tunnels then more movement followed.
Arcanis sounded annoyed. "Oh wonderful."
"What?!" Maira asked.
"That was a call signal."
Before she could respond—
More bats flooded out of the ceiling cracks.Ten. Fifteen. Maybe more.
Maira's face went pale. "…You're kidding."
"Unfortunately not."
The first bat dove toward her, Maira raised her hand instantly.
"GUST!"
A blast of wind knocked it sideways but two more attacked at once.
"FEATHER STEP!" she shouted.
Her body moved quickly as she dodged one.
The second scratched her shoulder as it flew past.
She gasped in pain.
"MASTER, DO NOT PANIC," Arcanis said.
"Easy for you to say!" she said in agony.
A bat swooped from behind. Maira spun and fired another gust. The creature slammed into the wall but the swarm kept coming.They were too fast. Too many. She couldn't keep up. Her breathing became frantic.
Then something clicked in her mind. Wind,
Movement, Air flow. She remembered something Arcanis had said earlier.
Think.
Not fight blindly.
Use the environment.
Her eyes scanned the tunnel quickly then she saw it. Dust, Loose dirt covering the floor.
Maira took a deep breath.
"Arcanis."
"Yes?"
"Watch this."
She crouched slightly. Then raised both hands.
"GUST!"
But this time she didn't aim at the bats. She aimed at the ground. The wind exploded outward. Dust and dirt shot upward into the air. The tunnel filled with a thick cloud.
The bats shrieked.
Blinded.
Confused.
"Now!" Arcanis shouted
Maira rushed forward.
"FEATHER STEP!"
Her body moved lightly across the ground.
One bat flapped wildly in the dust. She grabbed a fallen stone from the ground
and slammed it into the creature's head,
It dropped instantly.
Another bat tried to fly upward. She fired a gust straight at the ceiling. The creature smashed against the stone and fell. The swarm panicked.
Unable to see.
Unable to track her.
One by one she struck them down, It wasn't clean, It wasn't graceful, but it worked.
Minutes later—
Silence returned to the tunnel.Dust slowly settled to the ground. Maira stood there breathing heavily. Bat corpses lay scattered everywhere.
Arcanis floated quietly. "…Remarkable."
Maira wiped sweat from her forehead.
"I hate bats."
"No, Master," Arcanis replied. "You adapted."
He sounded almost proud. "Most novice mages would have died."
The faint energy rose again from the monster bodies, It flowed into Maira's chest, she felt it clearly now. The power growing slowly like a small flame being fed.
"Arcanis…"
"Yes?"
"Am I getting stronger?"
"Indeed." His pages turned slowly. "And something else is happening."
"What?"
"The dungeon is beginning to recognize you."
She looked confused. "What does that mean?"
Arcanis' voice became slightly darker. "This dungeon has existed for thousands of years, It was created to contain monsters…"
He paused. "…and something else."
"What?" She asked, curious.
"…Me."
Maira blinked. Before she could ask more,
the ground suddenly trembled.Dust fell from the ceiling. A deep rumbling echoed through the tunnel. Arcanis slowly turned toward the darkness ahead.
"…Well."
Maira swallowed. "What now?"
The grimoire spoke calmly. "I believe, Master…" he took a breath. "…you have just attracted the attention of something much bigger." From the darkness ahead two massive glowing eyes slowly opened.